And my quiet throat-giggle turned into a snort. Which is always funn--ier.

So there I
was giggling like a nut. I glanced up. Everyone was trying not to look at me, but
when someone snort-laughs all to themselves at the dentist office, it’s grounds for a few smirks. So everyone had this little grin they couldn’t really hide while they avoided making eye contact with anyone.

I had this urge to read them the page that made me laugh so
they’d know I was not as crazy as I was coming off, but I did that before
and no one else thought it was funny, so then I really did look crazy and even
got that eye-roll thing that makes me want to run.

Looking at the cover of the book, well it looks serious so
they probably thought I was a bit of a weirdo. I had no idea it was going to be
so funny, but this kid. *shakes head and wipes laughing tears that
materialize* Anyway, I was tempted to
tell these strangers it was a good book, but they were trying so hard NOT to
look at me I decided to just sit there and giggle to myself. But it's hard to do this properly and without drawing attention to yourself. At one point my entire body was shaking with the laughter which of course was funny and you see how this was not cool.

In French we call it fou rire and I never found an expression similar in English, but this is the perfect example, just laughter that explodes from inside you at the worst time or place that you can't get a handle on.

So, I finally collected myself and dived back into the book. Well… it got more funny… so there I was, right out laughing to myself, not caring where I was. I mean, let's face it, by now I was already on the nutso list, I might as well just go with it.

No one else laughed, just stared ahead pretending I wasn't nuts. I
know right?

What do you do when you’re in public and can’t stop
laughing? This ever happen to you? Do you ignore strangers laughing or get in on the joke? Where is the weirdest place you ever caught the fou rire?

5 comments:

I'm sure I've giggled to myself in public plenty of times. Nothing stands out. But a few weeks ago I was in a waiting room by myself - or so I thought. I forgot another mom was sitting around the corner. And I got an upsetting email which prompted me to then talk to myself. I actually talked out a work problem out loud to myself. Then I remembered the other mom. Oops. There was no coming back from that, so I just continued to ignore her. Is that enough to cause a fou rire?

I don't think I've ever bust out laughing in public but I have experienced that moment when you read a good part of a book and want to share it with everybody but they don't get it because they haven't read the rest of the book . . . very frustrating.